Red lights at red lights

Although I've been known to rant on a bit in this blog I don't consider myself a person that gets easily riled, but being back on the roads today on this, the first working day of the year, reminded me of something that regularly pisses me off: the complete lack of empathy shown by drivers who sit at red lights with their foot jammed on the brakes, forcing me to stare at their high-intensity brake lights for minutes on end.

It's not comfortable, it's not pleasant, and in the majority of cases it's totally not necessary. Manchester is a reasonably flat city - a huge proportion of its traffic lights and junctions are on roads with no slope at all. When you're stopped, you stay stopped. No need for any brakes. Give your right foot a rest!

If you're one of the (no more than) 10% of UK drivers with an automatic gearbox, you might think you have an excuse. Nope. Pop the shift into neutral and give your right foot a rest!

What about when you're on a slope - surely then you have a reason? Nope. Ever heard of the handbrake? Yank it up and give your right foot a rest! When I learnt to drive, we were taught to use this clever little device for hill starts and to control the vehicle on slight slopes. Now, it's somehow become a point of macho pride to slip the clutch at hilly junctions, or use the footbrake and "prove" you can pull away quickly before you start to roll back.

But mostly it's just pure laziness. You come to a stop with your foot on the brake and you leave it there. It's not a foot rest! Take it off! Give my eyes a break!